Daughter of the Sky and Earth
by tina titan
Summary: a few years after their marriage, Aladdin and Jasmine meet Cassandra, a seven year old street mouse. at first glance, Cassandra seems normal. but nothing is normal about this witty little girl.


The streets of Agrabah are dangerous for a street mouse. Cassandra is only 7 and she fully understands that. For example, if the fat baker caught her now, she would lose her hands. The heat from the burned bread she had stolen blisters her flesh, but she ignores it as she races across the sand.

She may be small for her age, but she is incredibly fast. Unfortunately she turns around at the wrong moment and slams into a tall young man. The bread goes flying from her hand.

Aladdin looks at the small girl who just ran into him. Her headscarf is little more than a ratty napkin, barely able to cover the thick, wavy hair. Her large blue-green eyes dart around, landing on the burnt bread. She scrambles to her feet, grabs the bread, and runs.

"Hey," Aladdin yells," Wait!"

"Aladdin!" Jasmine says, turning to find her husband running after a small girl. She runs after him.

Cassandra can hear him run after her. She sees a tall stack of hay next to a building. She darts to the right, pushing off the wall, and jumps into the air. She slams into the hay stack, the bread slipping a bit out of her hand. Cassandra wildly grabs for it, but it slips too far. Cassandra lets it fall to the ground. She climbs to the top of the hay stack and jumps a bit to the edge of the building.

Aladdin watches in wonder as the small street mouse pulls herself on to the roof and vanishes. Jasmine catches up with Aladdin.

"Aladdin, who was that you were chasing?"She asks, taking his hand as they walk back to the palace.

"I don't know, but there's something odd about her." He replies. Not far there is a short scream and a crash. They race to the next street and fine the little girl covered in flour standing before the head of the royal guards, Razoul.

"How do you expect to pay for the pot and flour?" He asks, with a more tolerant tone than five years ago, before Aladdin met Jasmine.

"I have no money. I really am sorry," She whimpers. Cassandra couldn't help but mentally pat herself on the back. She could melt any heart without having to try. Some perks to being what she was.

With a loud crack, Genie appears next to Aladdin. He has a crazy smile on his sky blue skin. His head is shaved except for a pony tail on the very top of his head. His twisted beard accents the slight look of insanity in his eyes.

"Hey, Al," He laugh, and then he caught sight of the little girl. Genie watches her for a moment. Cassandra feels him staring at her. She looks at him. Her blue green eyes catch his own. His smile fades. He sees something no one else does. A dark red glow surrounds her. This is not an ordinary glow. This is one of someone with immense power. Someone with the power of the cosmics.

Then with a loud cry, he rushes at her and hugs her. Cassandra screams, causing Genie to pull away. She pulls a gold coin from a pocket on the side of her ratty skirt. Throwing it at the merchant, she ran. Only this time, she had no escape.

"Wait," Genie yells," After her!"

"Genie, wait," Jasmine jumps in front of the magic being," Why do you want to go after her?"

"Don't you see it?" He asks, very confused. Aladdin and Jasmine shake their heads," Do you remember what Phasir said last time we saw him?"

"Yes, he said to watch for a small being with as much energy as the cosmic powers," Jasmine says, still waiting to be answered. She had no idea what this had to do with the Cyclops. They don't know much about him, except for the fact he was one of the few people with powers that didn't try to kill them.

"She's the one he told us to watch for." Genie insists.

"Oh, please," Iago squawked. His colorful feathers ruffed as he ranted on better things they could all be doing. It took a minute for him to realize everyone had left.

Cassandra jumps over merchant carts and races past families. She stops at a familiar looking building. The one she lived in with her jodedah, her grandmother. She shut her eyes, and for a moment she could almost see her Jodedah. Her Silky white hair and sparkling blue green eyes, almost exactly like her own. The wood that bars her from going inside is the only thing keeping her from her beloved Grandma. Something began to stir below her stomach. The wood caught fire and fell to the sand. Cassandra smiles and jumps over the wood, disappearing into the house.

Aladdin, Jasmine, and Genie turn the corner as she set fire to the wood. Following her inside, they find her. She sits on a small mat with a small portrait of a young woman and the girl, a cloth doll, and a small bowl with a few dates in it. She stares at them, as if analyzing how dangerous they are. Her head covering now lay at her feet, her long, black hair falls into a small pile on the ground. In a tone that shows no fear, she asks," Who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm Jasmine." Jasmine says. Why did she say that? It felt like someone was forcing her to speak," This is genie," Genie turns into a hat and dips himself," And Aladdin."

"Who are you," Genie asks.

"My name is Cassandra, at least that's what Grandmother called me," She stares longingly at the table in the middle of the room. The three adults see the scorch marks and burns on most of the furniture. The name sounded odd. She answers as though she read their minds," My mother was Greek. She and my father died when I was three."

She says it as though saying," There's sand outside." Like it was a fact that deserved no special attention. She stares at them, waiting for the next move to be made. That's when Iago arrives. Cursing under his breath, he lands on the table and looks at Cassandra.

"Who's the kid?" At the sound of his voice, Cassandra goes tense. Her eyes open wide and a memory long forgotten surfaces. It's still blurry, but she sees a tall thin man with this bird on his shoulder. The scream that erupts from the small girl causes the group of four to jump back. A sharp pain in her lower abdomen makes her double over in pain. The scorch marks and burn catch fire. The smoke snaps Cassandra out of her memory, but she begins to choke on the musty smoke.

"What's happening?" Aladdin asks as the building catches fire.

"She's trying to protect herself," Genie yells as he turns into a hose. He sprays the building with water, but nothing quenches the flames. Aladdin can very faintly hear Cassandra coughing.

Cassandra struggles to kick wood away from an old hole in the wall she use to crawl through. The smoke fogs her mind. A piece of wood holding up the roof falls, crashing on to her head. She falls face first into the sandy floor. The pain bellow her stomach disappears and she falls into unconsciousness. The flame died off as fast as they started. Jasmine is the first to go inside. The table and all the furniture now lay is piles of ash. She sees a soot covered hand lay lifeless by the small cloth doll. Jasmine rushes over and brushes ash from the little girl's face. Genie and Aladdin enter to find jasmine cradling the small girl.

"We need to get her help," Jasmine says. Aladdin looks at Cassandra's ashen face. He can't tell if she's even breathing.

Genie moves forward and places a blue hand on her forehead. He looks at Aladdin," She's alive, but I would like to talk to her."

"Let's take her to the palace," Aladdin says. He stoops to pick her up when Iago's voice fills the room.

"Um excuse me? Can we take a moment and remember this is the girl that just tried to barbeque us!" Iago screams. Aladdin turns to the parrot.

"She needs help," Is all he says. He turns to Cassandra and picks her up. He can feel her ribs through her clothes. When was the last time this little girl ate a good meal?

Aladdin remembers when he was a street rat. The cold nights and almost endless hunger had been the worse, but he still remembers the day that all changed. The day he met Jasmine.

At the gates they are greeted by Raja, Jasmine's tiger, and Abu, Aladdin's best friend and monkey. It's only when the pass through the gate does Cassandra open her eyes. She tumbles from Aladdin's arms. If you've ever seen a trapped dog, you can imagine the look on this girl's face. She turns on her heel and races away.

Cassandra ran to her grandmother's house. Inside she shifts through the ash of the old furniture and finds the small doll her mother made her before she died. The doll had light hair made from old thread; the once coarse cloth had now softened. Or maybe her hands had gotten use to the coarse texture. She carefully tucks the doll in a pocket sewn into the inside of her skirt. She searches for the portrait of her and her mother, but can't find it. With a horrible pain in her heart, she realizes it must have burned in the fire.

She grabs the ratty head scarf and heads into the market place. Past the thieving sales men and those who try to make a living of circus tricks, she finds an old alley. Careful to make sure she's not followed, she makes her way to an abandoned home. It is difficult to get there, at one point she has to jump from one roof to another, but she makes it. The dusty smell is no longer bothers her. A large hole on the wall shows the palace. She immediately moves to the far wall. Removing a few stones from the floor, she pulls a sword from the hidden compartment.

The straight blade's double edges are razor sharp. The worn leather grip molds to her hand. The sword is one of the few things never meant for her to inherit. Her father made it for his son, but instead she was born. She pulls a second sword from the compartment, this one an old guard's sword she nicked from a guard when he wasn't watching. With a flick of her wrist, the second flies from her hand and floats in front of her.

She grips the sword with both hands and lunges at the second sword. If anyone saw her practice, they would describe it as a dance. It just so happened that someone did see her. Abu sits in the shadows. After Cassandra had disappeared, Aladdin had asked him and Iago to search for her. Cassandra moves with such grace as the animated sword, that he watches mesmerized.

After a few minutes the second sword falls, and Cassandra turns to Abu. In a sad voice, she says," I know you're there. Come on out, I won't hurt you."

Abu pokes his head out and Cassandra smiles.

"You must be hungry. I know I am." Laying down her sword, she pulls a dried date from her pocket," It isn't much but maybe…"

She closes her hand, and a bright glow emerges from her fist. Opening it two dates now sat there. She sets one on the ground. That sends Abu racing toward her. While he shoves the date in his mouth, Cassandra says sadly," You're from the palace. I remember seeing you."

She turns her head out the window. The setting sun seems to set the white towers on fire. A tear runs down her cheek as she sighs," I know they were trying to help, but everyone that tries to help me ends up dead."

Abu wraps his arms around the girl's arm. She smiles and pats his head. Everything would have been fine, if at that moment Iago hadn't shown up.

"Hey, monkey, did you find her?" She catches sight of him. For a few moments all she can see is red. When the red clears, she holds the parrot down with one hand and her sword at his throat. Through clenched teeth, she hisses," Do you know who I am?"

"No," He chokes. Keeping her sword on his throat, she gathers her hair in her free hand. With the long hair away from her face, Iago can see her clearly. Her nose is narrow and a little too big for her face. Her eyes far too clear for anyone her age. He remembers her. Only she was much younger, maybe two or three. He also remembers what she had seen. With much difficulty, he gulps.

"I'll ask again," Cassandra growls," Do you know me?"

"Yes," He answers. Her eyes turn murderous, but he sees the tears well up in her eyes.

"Let him go," A new voice says. Turning with her sword ready to attack, she finds Genie.

"Geez when did I become so famous?" She mutters under her breath, stabbing her sword into the ground. As mad as she was about the fact these people invading her privacy, she still thought it was nice they cared.

"Look, Cassandra is it?" She nods. Genie continues," I just want to talk genie to girl who may hold the power of the cosmics at her finger tips."

That brought a smile to her face. Genie had heard once that the saddest people smile brightest. Seeing the smile on this girl's face told him this was true. Her face didn't seem as ragged and her eyes looked brighter. She walks over to the window and sits on the edge, one leg dangling out. Genie drifts over and floats across from her.

"So, tell be about yourself," He laughs. Cassandra's face fades into its usual frown. If there is one thing she hates talking about, it's her past.

"I think you know everything already," She answers quickly. She can feel heat rising in her cheeks.

"No, I know your name is Cassandra, you're half Greek, and you're an orphan," He says. Cassandra grips her sword hilt," Tell me about the sword."

"Ah, yes, the gift I never meant to inherit," Her eyes visibly brighten though her face remains blank," My father had it made for what was suppose to be his first born son. I was born instead. My grandmother taught me to fight with a sword when I was little. I can reanimate a sword so it fights me."

In demonstration, she flicks her wrist and the old blade floats in front of her. Cassandra draws her blade and sends the first to the ground in three hard strikes. She never leaves the window's edge.

"I don't think I've ever seen someone do that, Cassandra," Genie grins at her.

"Call me Cass," Cassandra says," I know my name is a mouth full."

"Well, Cass, you said you can reanimate things, what else can you do?"

"I can multiply things like food, not very much, just another date or a few more bites of bread. That's about it."

Iago flew over and smiles a bit too happily. In his nasally voice he says," Can you multiply gold?"

"If I could, I wouldn't be a street rat."

"What about the fires?" Genie asks. Cass tenses. Her heart begins to race and pain returns to her lower abdomen. Genie notices her tense," its ok, Cass.'

She stands and the sword on the ground begins to float. Sword fighting is one of the few things that cleared her head. She ducks as the sword goes for her throat and back flips as the blade stabs at her stomach. Something falls behind her, as she turns the blade cuts her arm. She swears and the blade drops to the floor. Aladdin can feel embarrassment flood his face. He had lived her long before Cass and found it. How could he have forgotten that trap? His foot had caught on a hidden wire and a clay pot fell to the ground.

"Can I not have a thousand and one people trying to find me?!" Cass yells. She feels her mind slipping away. No, she can't lose control. Not now. She places her palms on her temples and in a low, sweet voice, begins to sing.

_Her mother's home land _

_Her father's home_

_Places she'll never go_

_For now in her cradle she lies_

_Earth and water trapped in her eyes_

_Her hair, which hold the darkness_

_Doesth the wind caress_

_The flame burned upon her skin_

_Reveals the powers within_

_Her hands are cold_

_Her heart bold_

_The world will mourn the day the tears run dry_

_The day the child will no longer cry_

_For now she waits, unable to see_

_What is in stored for she._

Aladdin and Genie watch her, not sure what to do. She sinks to her knees and rocks back and forth, singing louder and louder.

_The nights are an endless storm _

_She plays a part she cannot perform_

_The dirt and rag cannot take from this_

_She is graceful as any princess_

_One day the stars will bow to her_

_And to her alone_

_But she will not be happy, this is sure_

_Til she finds a place to call home_

_Where a mother holds her_

_And a father helps her_

_When she is unsure_

_That will end the curse_

The song was over, but Cass keeps rocking back and forth trying to focus. If she blanked out, she would awake to more flames and more bodies. A hand is placed on her shoulder. She looks up and Jasmine smiles down at her. She hadn't seen the princess enter behind Aladdin. Jasmine watches as the tears fall from the clear blue green eyes.

"Would you like a home?" She asks the small girl. Cassandra looks up with hope in her eyes. Had she heard that right? Was the princess of Argabah offering her a home? Her heart made the choice for her. She nods. Just like that she had a family. They went to the palace and everyone watches her. Jasmine explains it to her father, the sultan. He is a pudgy old man with a pure white beard and a permanent smile on his face. He looks at the girl who now was his granddaughter. He hugs her.

She hadn't expected such a warm welcome. Later that night, as everyone fell asleep, she sits on a window's edge. She sang very softly.

_The more she fears the more that burns,_

_But the more she finds hope the more she learns_

_She is a star shining on man kind_

_This daughter of mine._


End file.
